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The new 2021 Porsche 911 Targa is faster, safer, and smarter – Driving

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For a model with origins tied to passenger protection, the 911 Targa offers an incredible combination of panache and performance.

And that combo of the visceral and practical – the roofless body style was originally marketed as a “safety” cabriolet “with anti-roll bar,” engineered to meet the stringent U.S. rollover regulations introduced in the ‘60s – must be quite attractive to Canadians since, in terms of the ratio among 911 buyers, we make up the world’s second-largest market for Targas.

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Yup, only hometown Germany, where Targas make up 11.8 per cent of that country’s 911 sales, outdoes the 10.2-per-cent Targa penetration Porsche Canada enjoys.

Now you might think it an anomaly that two snowbound countries like Germany and Greater Canuckia favour open air motoring. But it doesn’t surprise Porsche; it’s a simple matter of taking advantage of what little sunshine we have. If Old Man Winter limits the number of sunny days you can enjoy, you want to make the most of them, now, don’t you?

OK, we’ve established that Canadians like Targas, but what has the 2021 version got for us?

Well, for one thing, there’s a bunch of power — even the base Targa 4’s 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six pumps out 380 horses and accelerates to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.2 seconds. Opt for the 4S version and that same engine pumps out 450 ponies and gets to 100 in just 3.6 seconds.

A decade ago, those were 911 Turbo numbers, and it needed 3.8 litres as well as two turbochargers to get there. As we’ve seen countless times before, reduced emissions and performance do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Oh, and by the way, even though the eight-speed (up one cog from the previous-gen Targa) dual-clutch PDK transmission is standard, the 4S can be had with Porsche’s seven-speed manual gearbox complete with – if you want peak performance – the Sport Chrono package.

As a sop to the all that increased performance, the 4S is also equipped with six-piston front brake calipers (the Targa 4 sports but four) and 10 millimetre wider tires all round (the 4S running on 305/30ZR21s in the rear, essentially the same size as last year’s Turbo and GT2). Like all current all-wheel-drive 911s, Porsche Torque Vectoring is available (standard on 4S and optional on the basic Targa) as well Porsche Active Suspension Management.

Particularly nifty is the Targa’s Wet Mode, which uses sensors in the wheel wells to determine road conditions and alert the driver that enhanced traction control is needed. The 4S will even, like all top-of-the-line 911 models, steer all four wheels, the better to turn into corners at high speed while increasing stability at high, do-not-pass-GO velocities.

Lastly, all new on the technology front is Porsche InnoDrive, an adaptive cruise control system that can predictively change cruising speeds according to road conditions three kilometres ahead. Using data from the navigation data, InnoDrive can calculate the optimum acceleration and deceleration values for all upcoming corners and then mates that with traffic information from radar and video sensors to optimize speed.

And in yet another convenience item, the SmartLift can be programmed to electro-hydraulically lift the front end some 40 mm for more ground clearance by remembering the GPS coordinates of troublesome garage entries or exaggerated curbs.

The new 911 Targa: Faster, safer, and now smarter.

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Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) New iPad Pro and iPad Air to Hit Markets Soon – TipRanks.com – TipRanks

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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is likely to introduce its new iPad Pro and iPad Air as soon as May. The much-anticipated product launch will come just ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

End to a Long Wait

As the much-awaited moment draws near, Bloomberg reports that the tech giant’s suppliers have already ramped up production of the devices. For Apple’s devout customers, the introduction of the revamped iPads marks the end of a nearly 18-month drought of major new releases from the company. The iPads are expected to boast features such as new OLED displays for the Pro model and an option for a 12.9-inch screen for the Air model.

Revamped iPads Unleashed

The long wait for new iPad models has resulted in sluggish tablet sales for Apple in recent times. Consequently, the company will likely look to the revamped versions to boost demand. Additionally, Apple is introducing more processing power to the new versions. The Pro models will feature a new M3 chip. Similarly, the iPad Air is also receiving an upgrade with a new processor, moving from its last version’s M1 chip to the latest technology.

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What to Expect in June

Importantly, the product launches are scheduled just before Apple’s highly anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference. This event is slated for June 10. The iPhone maker is widely expected to unveil its AI strategy as well as software updates for its range of products at the event. 

Is Apple a Buy, Sell, or a Hold?

Apple’s share price has corrected by nearly 11% year-to-date. The Street has a cautiously optimistic stance on the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Furthermore, the average AAPL price target of $203.40 points to an 18.6% potential upside in the company’s share price.

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Take-Two Interactive to Acquire 'Borderlands' Developer Gearbox From Embracer Group for $460 Million – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Take-Two Interactive has acquired video game developer Gearbox, the maker of the “Borderlands” franchise, from Embracer Group for $460 million.

Per Take Two, the company “expects the transaction to deepen its successful relationship with Gearbox Entertainment and to provide increased financial benefits through a fully integrated operational structure.”

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As part of the deal, Take-Two will acquire Gearbox IP, including “Borderlands” and “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” franchises, games published by Take-Two’s 2K Games, as well as “Homeworld,” “Risk of Rain,” “Brothers in Arms” and “Duke Nukem.”

Currently, Gearbox has six “key interactive entertainment projects in various stages of development,” per Take-Two, which includes five sequels, two from “Borderlands” and “Homeworld” universes, and at least one “exciting new intellectual property,” all of which have been acquired in the sale.

Take-Two’s purchase of Gearbox is expected to close in June, pending regulatory approval. Upon completion, Gearbox will operate as a studio within 2K, continuing to be led by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and his management team.

Former Gearbox owner Embracer, a Swedish gaming conglomerate who snapped up the rights to “Lord of the Rings” two years ago, has undergone a severe restructuring program over the past year, which has seen the company shut down or dispose of dozens of games studios and titles and lay off hundreds of staff, resulting in aftershocks that have reverberated throughout the games industry.

The sale of Gearbox marks the latest insistence of Embracer unloading assets, following the company divesting Saber Interactive.

“Our acquisition of Gearbox is an exciting moment for Take-Two and will strengthen our industry-leading creative talent and portfolio of owned intellectual property, including the iconic Borderlands franchise,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said. “This combination enhances the financial profile of our existing projects with Gearbox and unlocks the opportunity for us to drive increased long-term growth by leveraging the full resources of Take-Two across all of Gearbox’s exciting initiatives.”

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An OLED iPad Pro and the first big-screen iPad Air will reportedly arrive in May – Engadget

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Apple will finally launch new iPads in early May, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Expected are a new iPad Pro with an OLED display and a faster iPad Air, including a 12.9-inch model for the first time in that lineup. The details of the upcoming iPad models have been consistent, circulating through the rumor mill since last year.

The new iPad Pro models will reportedly add OLED displays (offering deeper blacks and richer colors) and run on the new M3 chip, already found in several Macs. The new tablets are said to launch alongside a redesigned Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Other than a white color option, the latter has remained unchanged since its arrival four years ago.

Meanwhile, the iPad Air will supposedly run on a new processor. Bloomberg didn’t specify which, but — considering the current model uses the M1, and Apple likely wants to reserve the M3 for the more expensive Pro — the M2 sounds like a safe bet. The 12.9-inch screen option would mark the first time the iPad Air line has offered a display larger than 10.9 inches. Although Apple will charge more for that model than the smaller sibling expected alongside it, that would be the cheapest way yet to get a supersized iPad screen.

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Gurman said early this month that the new tablets would launch alongside the M3 MacBook Air, but the laptop arrived without any iPads in tow. He now reports that Apple’s release schedule was pushed back to finish working on the devices’ software and ironing out the kinks from the “complex new manufacturing techniques” they require.

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